By the Way
by Kei-the-Alchemist
Summary: One-shot. An average morning in the DPD gets a twist. A/A. Rating because I'm paranoid.


**Disclaimer: Don't own Covert Affairs. **

By the Way

Computers began to hum away as chairs screeched across the floor of the DPD to allocate the stream of employees coming in for the day. It was a typical Wednesday morning for Annie Walker, who sat at her own desk and sipped at a coffee while she waited for her own machine to boot up or Auggie to show. If the former happened first, she'd begin searches on various things for her next op. It would be tedious, but it was her job.

Though the fact that she wanted her paycheck didn't stop her from wishing for the latter, in which case she'd let him get settled at his desk, then go over and badger him. mornings like those were her favorites, but this Wednesday is was not meant to be, Annie realized as she saw her screen light up. With a heavy sigh, she logged in and began.

Annie hadn't gotten far when a tall form leaned against her desk and said, "One of those mornings, huh?" She turned and looked up at her best friend.

His sightless brown eyes were turned in her general direction. He was quite adorable with his dark, messy hair and casual, loping grace. As usual, Auggie was smiling broadly, a true Cheshire cat.

"Yes," she said. "It would appear to be."

"Which means it is going to be one of those days," he added, as if she hadn't responded. "So you, Annie Walker, are going for drinks as soon as Joan closes the sweatshop for the night."

Forcefully, she hit enter on her keyboard. "Only if you don't leave me again."

With a laugh threatening, Auggie replied, "It was only one time!"

"Four, Auggie," she said. "It's happened four times."

"You can't blame me."

"Oh?" she asked.

"No," he said plainly. "I was drunk."

Annie scoffed. "Like hell you were. You hold your liquor like a well-practiced frat boy. I bet you could've decoded hundreds of Cold-War era Russian orders still."

Auggie thought about it for a moment. "True, but only because of my natural talent for them. Ah, but we digress. Allen's. Tonight. Don't forget."

"Don't leave me there by myself again."

"Don't forget, and I won't leave," he said lazily. "And anyway, the real reason I left my nice desk to lean on your piece of scraps is to tell you that Joan's got a new assignment coming up. It's you or Jai."

Annie turned to him so fast the words were barely out of his mouth when she asked, "Serious or brush-pass type?"

He smirked. "That's for you to decide. Go claim it, if you want it, though. Jai's probably already there."

"Thanks, Auggie," she said, getting up. Kissing him on the cheek and walking away, she called, "I owe you one!"

She was only a few yards away when his voice called her her back. "By the way, Annie..." She stopped and turned to see he was still by her station.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Auggie turned and walked back to his own area. Annie couldn't tell, but he was smiling to himself, knowing what reaction he'd caused in her. The silence of her heels gave it away: she was staring (open-mouthed most likely) at his back as he left. Then the musical sound was back, and he knew she wasn't going to speak to Joan.

She was following him, just as he'd hoped.

All he had to do was sit at his desk and wait for a few agonizing moments for her to catch up. When she did, it was in a storm, a veritable hurricane, of emotion.

Annie spun Auggie's desk chair (with him in it) to face her. Hands on the armrests, she demanded, "What the hell?"

He blinked his unseeing eyes and replied calmly, "You should be more specific."

"What just happened? Explain," she said shortly, one foot tapping at a rapid pace.

As an automatic response, he asked. "Can you not tap your foot? It's a tantalizing sound and it's distracting." She stopped. "Thank you."

"Well?"

He smiled. "I though a casual, offhand declaration would be best. I realize now that getting you drunk before admitting my undying love probably would have been better." He was acting so calm, Annie had trouble believing that he was sincere. Auggie was glad he'd been trained to keep his outward appearance collected. Inside, he was a mess. She was very, very close to him and telling her was not as easy as he played it to be.

In fact, it had been planned with August Anderson (and therefore CIA-trained) precision, and had been for months.

She rolled her eyes, knowing he could not see it. "So you yell it across the department?" Annie could bring herself to ask her real question. Not yet.

"Naturally," he replied smoothly. "Isn't that what you would've done?" Auggie grinned; this could go many different ways now, and he had an answer for them all. He held all the cards, which allowed him a bit of comfort despite that fact that he still didn't know for sure how she felt.

"No!" she said stubbornly. "I would have taken you aside and eased into the conversation, not plunge head first into it!"

He quirked an eyebrow. "So you admit it?"

Immediately, she went pale and on the defensive. "Admit what exactly?" she asked.

"That you can't live without me. Can't get me out of your head. Are tired of pretending that this is platonic." Despite his blindness, Annie felt as if Auggie was looking through her, truly seeing what lay in her heart and soul.

Because he had hit the nail on the head.

She calculated her next move as quickly as possible, but Auggie was still perturbed by the lack of response. "Did I get it right, love? Or are you about to slap me out of nowhere?" Barely hearing him over the sound of her pounding heart and rushing head, Annie decided.

Leaning in was the easy part. She was already half-way there as it was. The last ten millimeters were difficult, though. So much could go wrong, and she was feeling so much. But she loved him.

Annie Walker pressed her lips firmly to Auggie's and came upon the most excruciating part of the whole ordeal: waiting for his response.

Luckily, it cam fairly rapid, as far as these things go (only seven seconds) and exceptionally good. Despite Auggie's earlier confession, Annie was surprised when he reached up his hands to her face to draw her closer so he could deepen their first kiss. As they pulled apart, both were breathing heavy.

When Annie's oxygen level was back to normal, she started speaking faster than Auggie had ever heard her before. "Oh God. Oh God. We just _made out_ at work. And you said you love me." She jabbed a finger in his direction. "And then, we kissed. _At work_." Clearly, she was freaking out.

"Okay. First," Auggie said. "Our tongues stayed in out own mouths, so we didn't _make out_ at work." He frowned and amended, "Yet."

"I'm shooting you a look."

"Figured," he said, flashing yet another grin. "Second, no one cares. In-house dating is good here. Third, yeah. I said I love you, and it's true. I love you, Annie Walker. Fourth, _you_ kissed _me_. Can I assume that means we're an item?"

She pressed her forehead to his. "Assume away. I love you, too."

**A/N: This is...a product of an attachment to the pairing and little sleep. I honestly don't know what to make of it, quality-wise. Thoughts? **


End file.
